The world is in an upheaval now with the pandemic raging for over a year. The discussions and decisions that probably would never have been made a few years ago are being made today in the interest of the greater good and the public at large. When Bill Gates expressed his reservations against lifting IP protection on vaccine patents, it left the world reeling and his comments understandably criticised by experts and laymen alike ...
The third wave of COVID-19 is now spreading all over Thailand. The rise in confirmed numbers of cases and deaths has been reported by the Centre for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (“CCSA”). In response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Public Health announced a vaccination plan which ultimately aims to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections by having around 50 million people (roughly 70% of the population) in Thailand vaccinated by the end of the year ...
We would like to inform you that the Russian President has signed amendments to Article 1360 the Civil Code of the Russian Federation ('Russian Civil Code'), in terms of providing compulsory licenses to use an invention, utility model or industrial design ('patent rights') on 30 April, 2021. The amendments came into force on 11 May, 2021 ...
The International Council on Mining & Metals published new standards for tailings management, aiming to assist mining companies to improve their performance and to comply with safety and environmental requirements ...
The European Council has just adopted a new dual-use regulation. The new dual-use regulation is a recast of the current dual-use regulation and aims, among other things, to modernize European export controls in a number of areas. The regulation is directly applicable in all EU Member States and is expected to enter into force in 2021. In this Insight, Plesner's export control specialists outline the main changes resulting from the new dual-use regulation ...
South Africans’ recent celebration of Freedom Day signalled 27 years of democracy. Through democracy, our Constitution further brought us rights and obligations to guide our rainbow nation, including freedom of expression and environmental rights to protect our environment, health and well-being while focusing on the sustainability of our environment. Although clothing serves a function and a need, for many, luxury clothing is the gold standard of self-expression and success ...
More than three years after initial publication, the State Medical Board of Ohio's proposed revisions to its light-based device (laser) rules are now advancing toward possible enactment, as the Medical Board has announced amendments to the proposal and scheduled public rules hearing for May 17, 2021 ...
By means of Resolution No. 375 , dated May 3, 2021, the Ministry of the Environment has instructed a new information request for producers of priority products, in the context of Law No. 20,920 on Waste Management, Extended Producer Responsibility and Recycling Promotion ( "EPR Law") ...
The Ohio COVID-19 Indoor Air Quality Assistance Program allows eligible private employers to receive reimbursement for eligible inspections, assessments, maintenance, and/or improvements to indoor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to help control the spread of COVID-19. Employers are not eligible for this program if any other federal funding has been supplied for the same purposes ...
As the UK makes progress towards a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, Shepherd and Wedderburn is committed, through our Green Recovery Strategy and enhanced Sustainability Policy, to working with clients operating in a wide variety of sectors to contribute to a green recovery from the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Electric mobility represents a new language and a new dynamic for consumers who yearn for an accessible, extensive, digital, user-friendly charging network. In Portugal and abroad, the electric mobility sector has witnessed significant developments and it has shown itself to be a particularly dynamic market that is enjoying strong growth ...
Washington’s Supreme Court disrupted the state’s agricultural industry on November 5, 2020, when it held that the agricultural overtime exemption at RCW 49.46.130(2)(g) violated the state’s constitution as applied to dairy workers. As a result, all dairy employers immediately had to start paying their workers overtime at a rate of 1.5 times their regular hourly rate. While not explicitly addressed, the Martinez-Cuevas v ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the difficulties in reacting at European level to a major health crisis and the intention of the European Commission is to respond more effectively to future problems in the area of health. As a result, it is currently conducting an initial assessment of possible legislative changes in the area of medicinal products for human use ...
The Environmental Assessment Service (" EAS ") is preparing technical documents, as a supplement for the environmental assessment guides, to standardize criteria, background and procedures within the Environmental Impact Assessment System (“ EIAS ”) ...
For most of the last decade, creative plaintiffs attorneys and their clients — states, municipalities and environmental groups — have pushed novel, untested tort theories designed to hold energy companies, and sometimes, those same state and municipal interests, liable for climate change. Plaintiffs have concentrated their efforts in West Coast forums. But New York and Baltimore saw some action too. Florida, by and large, has avoided the fray. No longer ...
The race to achieve net zero emissions has played a significant role in pushing forward the fight against climate change. Key stakeholders are becoming alive to the opportunity presented by a decarbonised economy and those who do not get on board now risk being left behind. What chrnet zero? Simply put, net zero is premised on attaining a balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere ...
The UK will host the UN’s COP26 climate change conference in November 2021, but what is a COP – and what happened at the previous 25 COPs? 15 April 2021 marks 200 days until COP26 is due to start. Taking place in Glasgow from 1-12 November 2021, COP26 is the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ...
Earn-outs are a commonly used payment mechanism in overseas and cross-border M&A transactions. Through earn-outs, transacting parties can set flexible metrics to adjust the buyer’s payment obligation and thereby allocate the risks and benefits between the buyer and seller ...
The State Water Resources Control Board (“SWRCB”) approved the much-debated General Waste Discharge Requirements for Winery Process Water (“Winery Order”) on January 20, 2021. Although the official version of the approved Winery Order has not been released, an uncertified copy has been posted on the SWRCB website. Based on that document, most of the elements of the draft Winery Order remain unchanged from the most-recent draft issued for public comment ...
It is only seven months until the eyes of the world fall on Glasgow as it hosts COP26. The conference comes with some terminology which might be unfamiliar. This article is designed to bring you quickly up to speed with the words and phrases you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months. The very basics... COP – ‘Conference of the Parties’, the parties being the 197 signatories to the UNFCCC treaty ...
